Chinese Researchers took Quantum Entanglement to a Next Level

July 20, 2018

Chinese scientists have amazed the scientific world by packing 18 qubits in just 6 photons.

Connections. What do they articulate? Humans have a certain need to keep in touch. It serves as a major part of our social affairs. Bonding with another fellow individual is just a statement but to attain such a relationship you need to connect and communicate with that individual. Communication is a key factor, which keeps people around the world connected and united. In order to keep oneself socially active in today’s world, the use of technology is a must. The use of cellular phones and computers has been a game changer in the world of social matters. If we move more into the world of technology, the phenomenon called “The Internet” has transformed the realm of communication. Facebook, Twitter, Snapchat, FaceTime, and Instagram are mere sources that help us connect with our fellow homosapiens.

Over the years, researchers and scientists have been developing ways to broaden up our basic understanding of connection. As the human brain progresses, it strives to improve the work that has already been developed. Albert Einstein signified that by saying,

“Intellectual growth should commence at birth and cease only at death.”

Likewise our scientists wanted to improve our present way of connection. Thus, they wanted to construct connections that were more than mere communication around the world.

Pondering upon the topic of vast connections, scientists have been trying to attain an association between the earth’s surface and space. Previous communication between the satellites has not been prompt. A signal or message would take a lot of time and scientists need much more than that. For solving this problem, a group of Chinese researchers launched a satellite called Micius in 2015. The satellite was to work with quantum entanglement to assess this complication.

Quantum entanglement refers to the quantum mechanical phenomenon in which the quantum states of two or more objects are correlated with each other. In such an occurrence, the objects correlated can be spatially parted but will still be considered one. Quantum entanglement has the ability to emerge itself into technology. Thus quantum computing, quantum cryptography, and quantum teleportation are present. Erwin Schrodinger, a Noble Prize winning physicist, explained entanglement in the following words:

“Entanglement is not one but rather the characteristic trait of quantum mechanics.”

Chinese Researchers invested 14 years on this mission. They researched and experimented with the idea of wondering if it could be? At last, with their launch of Micius in 2015 they had their answer. Within a year of the launch, they had successfully established a quantum network, which was 404 kilometers apart. This whole phenomenon was possible because of the use of quantum computers. In general, our computer consists of bits that revolve around two states (0 and 1) but these specific computers use qubits.

Qubits also orbit around these two states but they behave according to peculiar rules of quantum physics. Contrasting to bits, qubits have states that are more indeterminate. They may function with neither 0 nor 1, but possibly with both. While functioning with such weird states, they become strangely tangled and connected, which inevitably influences the other bit.

It was not long ago that Micius made another breakthrough. The satellite was at a distance of 1203 kilometers from the ground station and was able to send an entanglement that was preserved in pairs of photons. Researchers have productively packed 18 qubits into just six strangely connected photons. On average, it results in three qubits a photon. Meanwhile, it takes many seconds to entangle these six particles that sum up this experiment. Each of these qubits is responsible for each calculation involved.

This whole process follows a certain protocol. Each qubit is encoded into one of the states of the particle, which flips back and forth. The name given to this process is Quantum Spin. For such experiments, many of these quantum spins are required. For the use of coding, photons are loaded with these quantum spins. The whole phenomenon of a quantum system can enclose the huge amount of information into fewer particles. It is stated that each of the particles can hold up to thrice the data.

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